evans



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. P. EVANS. GEARING P0P. ELECTRIC MOTOR GARS.

No. 465,592. Patented Deo. 22, 1891.

Ellllllllllm- Illu (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. O. I'. EVANS.

GRARING PoR RLRGTRIG MOTOR GARS. No. 465,592. Patented 1390.22, 1891.

WMM/momo( 5mm/who@ UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

OVEN F. EVANS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO VILLIAM H. SLADE, OF SAME PLACE.

GEARING` FOR ELECTRIC-MOTOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 465,592, dated December 22, 1891.

Y Application led January 24, i891. Serial No. 378,985. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN F. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in` the county of Franklin and State ot Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gearing for Electric-Motor Gars, of which the following is a specification.

VMy invention relates to that class of motorgearing through which power is transmitted from an electric motor to the axles of a car; and the objects are to provide a simple and inexpensive means for transmitting power from the motor-shaft to the car, and in so doing obviate the necessity of employing numerous gear-wheels, and thus greatly reduce the friction between the gearing parts; to so adjust the motor-support as to produce a gear connection between the motor-shaft and the desired one of the car-axles, and to readily and easily reverse the moving direction of the car without reversing the electric current; to provide a worm gear-wheel of superior construction, and to provide a worm-pinion of such construction as to produce a uniform bearing of the threads of the worm-pinion against the teeth of the worm gear-wheel. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a car-frame having my improvements thereon. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. .3 is a longitudinal section on line o: m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view showing a portion of the front axle and one of the axle-bearing arms broken away. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the wedge and rack-bar, by means of which the position of the motorsupport is changed. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of my improved worm gear-wheel. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken at right angles with the view shown in Fig. G, and showing apart only of the teeth therein. Fig. 8 isa view in elevation of myimproved worm-pinion. Fig.

9 is a view in elevation of the worm gearwheel frame with the teeth removed, and Fig. 10 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the operating-lever.

Similar lettersrefer to similar parts thro ughout the several views.

a represents the frame or truck side pieces of a car, and a a the frame cross-pieces which connect said side pieces a at points ou each side of the center of the length of the latter.

b b respectively represent the car-axles, which are journaled in any desired manner in opposite ends of the frame-pieces a. Each of these axles carry, as shown, at the center oi' their length a worm gear-wheel c.. Supported upon the cross-pieces a', between the side pieces a and parallel with the latter, is a central frame bed-plate d. This frame-plate d extends to within a short distance of the axles b', and has extending outwardly from its ends suitable axle-bearing arms d, which form journal-bearings for the axles on each side of the worm-wheel.

e represents an oblong rocking plate, which has its central and thicker portion fulcrumed upon a suitable transverse pin e', which projects laterally from said rocking plate and is journaled in suitable lugs e5, projecting upwardly from the outer sides of the plate d. As shown in the drawings, the under side of this rocking plate is slightly inclined toward its outer ends from its center or fulcrum point, and has formed with each end thereof two upwardly and outwardly extending arms e2,

. which extend above the axle and are connected by asuitable cross-piece e3 at their outer ends.

e4 represent keepers or stirrups, one of which depends from each end of the plate d, each of said keepers being formed by two downwardly-extending side arms, which are connected at a point beneath the plate d by a suitable cross-arm. Supported in any desirable manner upon the upper side of the rocking plate e at the center of the length thereof is an electric-motor mechanism f, from opposite sides of which extends outwardly in the usual manner the motor-shaft f', the ends of said motor-shaft being suitably journaled in the cross-frame piece e3 of the rockingplate extension. of the cross-pieces c3 is mountedupon the motor-shaftf aworm or worm-pinion f2. As

shown in the drawings, the worms f2 are adapted to be made to gear with the teethlof the wheels c on the axles b h.

f3 represents a sliding rack-bar, one face of Vithin and adjoining eachl IOO which bears against the under side of the bedplate d, and the outer end portions of which are movably supported between the downward extension of the cross-frame arms a and said bed-plate. The ends of the sliding bar f3 are each provided with extensions f 4, con- Y sisting of two wedge-shaped lugs, the thicker ends of which project forwardly from the opposite sides of the bar and beneath the lower cross-arm of the rocking-plate stil-rups e4. The thicker outer ends of the wedges f4 are of such height as to be made to fit snuglybetween the under side of the bed-plate CZ and the upper side of the stirrup cross-piece. Fulcrumed to the under side of the bed-plate CZ on the outer side of the rack-bar f3 is an enlarged rounded and toothed head of a leverarm g, the teeth of which engage, as shown, with the teeth g on one edge of the rack-bar. The outwardly-extending portion of thelever g projects beyond the outer side of one of the frame-pieces d, and is normally pressed within one of the notches i of a curved stop-bar 7c, which extends between the frame-pieces a', by means of a spring-strip Z, the inner end of which is secured to the upper face of the lever-arm and the outer end of which is bent u pwardly to produce a spring-pressu re against the under side of the frame-piece a.

In forming the worm-wheels used herein I employ, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 9, two disks m, connected at their centers by asuitable intervening hub m', said hub being provided on its periphery with longitudinal ribs m2, which project therefrom at equidistant points. The inner sides of each of the disks m has projecting therefrom and surrounding the ends of the hub fm at a distance from the latter a circular rib or key m3.

m4 represent teeth of my improved wheel, the bodies or bases of which are approximately of a keystone form, and have their inner ends so shaped as to rest upon the hub m between the ribs m2 thereof. The bases or bodies of said teeth extend from the hub to the periphery of the side disks m, from which point there projects upwardly from each tooth a suitable worm-wheel tooth-head m5. The teeth thus separately formed are adapted to be inserted against the hub until the entire periphery of said hub is occupied, the thickened bodies of said teeth bearing one against the other, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

Formed in the side of each of the teeth m4 is a curved groove, which forms a segment of a circular groove n, forming sockets or keyways for the reception of the circular ribs 'm3 of the disks m, as shown, and thus serve to prevent the outward movement or withdrawal of the teeth.

For reasons hereinafter given each of the worms f2 are formed substantially as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, its thread o making but slightly more than one coil about its body, the inner side faces of said threads at each of its ends being approximately vertical, as shown at o. From each of these thread ends,

however, the inner side of the threads presents a beveled or inwardly-inclined face, which gradually increases in pitchand decli nation until the remaining end of the thread is reached.

The operation of my device is as follows: Power having been imparted in the usual manner through the motor f to the motor-shaft f', rit will be seen that by turning the leverg to one side of the center, as indicated in the drawings, a movement of the sliding wedgebar f3 is obtained in the opposite direction from that in which the lever is moved. This movement of the wedge-bar will result by the pressure or crowding of the latter between the lower arm of the keeper c4 and the underside of the bed-plate in forcing downward that end of the rocking plate which is above the inwardly-drawn wedges. As shown in the drawings, this downward movement of the rocking plate at one end results in a sufiicient ylowering of the worm f2 at that end of the keeper to cause the teeth of said worm to mesh with those of the worm-wheel beneath. While the inward movement of the wedges at one end of the car-frame may operate, as described, to lower one end of the rocking plate, it will be seen that the consequent outward movement of the wedges at the opposite end of the rack-bar will admit of the necessary elevation of the opposite or remaining end of the rocking plate, thus breaking away any gear connection between the worm and wormwheel at one end of the car. The worms f2 are provided, as shown in the drawings, with right and left hand threads, respectively, and it will thus be seen that the direction in which the cars lnovewill depend upon the gearing together of the proper worm and worm-wheel and that the direction of the car may be readily and easily changed by forcing the lever g towardv the opposite end of the car. This lever g is normally pressed intoengagement with one of the notches 'fi by a springstrip Z, the upwardly-bent outer end portion of which forms a resilent 4bearing againstthe under side of the frame-piece c. From the construction shown and described it will be seen that power is transmitted from the motor to but one of the axles at a time, and that by the herein-described means of reversing the moving direction of the car no reversal of the electric current is necessary. It will also be seen that the gearing herein shown is exceedingly'simple and effective and may be produced in a reliable and substantial manner and at an exceedingly low cost. It will also be seen that although the motor-shaft has imparted thereto the usual high speed the transmission of power through the short worms herein used will result in the desired reduction in the speed of the worm-wheels and axles.

By the use of my simpliied gear herein shown it is obvious that the disagreeable buzzing or whirring noise, which, as is well known, ordinarily results from the friction between IOO IIO

VIS

the numerous gear-wheels running at a high rate of speed in the usual forni of motor-car gear, is obviated, and that the noise produced by the gearing herein shown must of necessity be exceedingly slight.

'In the production of the worm-wheels it will be seen that the difficulty experienced in manufacturing wheels of this form is obviated by the sectional construction shown, and that broken or injured teeth may be readily removed and new ones substituted therefor. Owing to the gradual increase in the inclination of the side bevel of the thread of the worm, itwill loe observed that a uniform bearing is had of the threadagainst the side of the Worm-Wheel tooth as the Worm-Wheel is forced about its axis, said increased bevel compensating for the difference in position of the tooth as it is forced. It is obvious that I may, if desired, form the driving-Worms With one or more thread-coils in order to increase the speed of the driving-axle. It is obvious that, if desirable, a gear connection between the axles b b may be produced by mounting upon said axles suitable sprocket-Wheels and connecting the same by a sprocket-chain.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gearing for electricrnotor cars, the combination, with a suitable truck-frame c a', track-Wheel axles b b', and Worm gear-Wheels c, carried thereby, of a rocking motor-support e, centrally fulcrurned upon the truck-frame, a motor-support upon said rocking plate, a

motor-shaft extending from opposite ends thereof, and a Worm carried by each end of said motor-shaft, and means for so tipping said motor-support as to cause one of said Worms to gear With one of the Wheels c, substantially as described.

2. In a gearing for electric-motor cars, the combination, with the truck-frame, axles bb', journaled therein, a Worm-wheel on each of said axles, a bed-plate supported centrally by said frame, and a rocking plate centrally fulcruined upon said bed-plate, of a motor supported upon said rocking plate, a motor-shaft extending from each side thereof and carrying a worm at each of its ends, stirrups depending from opposite end portions of the rocking plate, a sliding rack-bar supported against the inner side of the bed-plate, Wedges e4, formed with each end of said rack-bar and bearing between said bed-plate and stirrups, and a toothed lever g, engagingvvith the sliding rackbar and adapted to force the latter toward either end of the truck, as and for the purpose specified.

3. Ina Worm-Wheel-driving Worm for motor-cars, the co1nbination,with the Worm-body, of a Worm-thread formed therewith, having beveled or inclined sides, the degree of inclination of which gradually increases from one end of the thread to the other, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

OWEN F. EVANS.

In presence of- BARTON GRIFFITH, C. C. SHEPHERD. 

